Monday, 25 March 2013

Why we should thank 'Captan India'

You may of heard of Captan America, the super hero who wields a shield. You may last remember him from the awesome movie, Avengers. But Captan India. Who's that? No, I am not talking of Mr. Dhoni and his recent records as Captan (although everyone else seems to be). So, who's Captain India (CI)? What has he been up to?

CI is a legendary figure who comes to the rescue of Indian news channels. He wields spunk that he adds to otherwise spicy new stories. In his earlier life he was a Justice of the Supreme Court of India. Although retired now, he still continues to strive for justice and humanity. Now as Captan India he has taken it upon himself to rid India of Idiots (according to him 90% Indians are Idiots), astrologers, film stars etc. (oh! sorry not the film stars). Captan India likes to come on television channels and voice his opinions (however outrageous they may be), until someone challenges him. At this point he first threatens and then leaves the television show (for a demo watch the last episode of Left Right and Centre on NDTV). I think such action is right on his part. Captan America, the do gooder, the spunk of spicy news items, challenged by a mere mortal, Who can take that.

Anyway, like Arnav would say 'the nation wants to know' why we should thank Captan India. I humbly request us to extend a thank to the Captan for raising and initiating the Sanjay Dutt pardon issue.

If you haven't heard of Sanjay Dutt, he is a Bollywood star who has recently been convicted under the arms act for possessing and later trying to destroy a gun. No, we are not talking about a desi katta here. He had a smaller, a much insignificant weapon, a AK 56. No big deal, he was a kid when he did this. Kids do such things. Such mistakes happen. For such a small mistake he has now been given a prison sentence of 5 years (the minimum for the concerned crime), out of which he has already done 18 months. Plus the case has been going on for 20 years now. Sanju (as we like to call him affectionately) has suffered a lot during this period. He made several movies during the last 20 years, a work no easy than breaking stones in the jail. He married and had kids (managing life outside the jail is more difficult than managing inside the jail). Last I heard he was earning Rs 20 crore per year (managing all that money takes a toll on the brain). So yes, Sanju has suffered a lot with all the stress of life and liberty that he has had until now. This makes a good case for his pardon. He must not be asked to do rest of his jail term.

However, the others convicted for similar crimes must please be sent to jail. They have not had the same hardships that Sanju has had. They probably have had no work to do (because an ordinary guy associated with a case as serious as this would never find a job in India). So, no tension of work. They probably have had no family life. With such a criminal charge on you, the Indian society would find you unacceptable. So, no burden of awkward social rules like marriage. The money they may have made in the last 20 years must have been menial sums, no tension of managing when the money may not be enough to buy you two square meals. So, obviously these other convicts have had no burden of life or of liberty (social liberty of you please). Obviously now they must be sent to jail and no pardon must be considered for them. They must repent and try to be good human beings and reformed people like our dear Sanju.

So, if Sanju deserves a pardon and would have got it anyway, what service to society has Captan India done that we must thank him? I think in raising this issue and supporting it so strongly, he has prompted many other prominent personalities of the country to join the clamour. And this has brought Sanju's pardon debate to the mainstream. It is now being discussed and debated widely. And of course, seeing such outrageous comments from India's elites, the masses have developed a sense of opposition to this elitist notion of pardon, where they clamour for pardon for 'one of them' and forget about the others (who of course have had an easier life). This I think is building pressure on the government and the governor to not step on this bed of thorns called 'Sanju's Pardon'. I strongly believe that had Sanju and his well wishers secretly and quietly mobilised resources in this direction, they may have had a positive outcome. It has happened in the past and may have happened again. The Indian elite works in mysterious ways, hidden from the public glare. However, by bringing the resource mobilisation in full public glare by first of all meeting the Maharashtra governor himself (thereby prompting may others to do the same), the good Captan has mobilised public opinion against the pardon (or against the elite). So, in this case it may so happen that Sanju may have to go to jail finally for at least an year or so (if not the full balance of 3.5 years).

So my friends I urge you all to hail the great Captan India for doing what he does best. Harming someone he wanted to help, however in the process hopefully helping the country help itself onto the right track.